Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1887-04-14
THE CHICAGO STRIKE.
The Carpenters Decide to Decline the
Partial Concessions of the EN-
ployers
Ihey VIII Hold for Recognition of
organizations the Bosses are
Pledged to Ignore.

A Chicago dispatch of April Sth saws:
ne s'rihing carpenters met at Greene
oaun na'' at noon, and by unanimous
vote rejected the proposition made bv
the bosses, and reaffrmed the demand for
80 cents an hour pay and full recooni-
ton OF the carpenters council as q body
OF organized labor. The pronosition of
the employers was to concede eight beurs
ana MAKE ~ cents an hour tn minimum
pay, with grades above, but not to recop
nlze anything bat the individual RIGHTS
of the men.
when the meeting called by the execu-
tive committee assembled there were
over three thousand men in the hall. and
several hundred stood outside unable TO
get In. Speeches were made by Mr.. Lin
coin, master workman of $3.50. and
Messrs. Buchanan, Beaudry, Kleiyer
NeadhoH, and Brennock. With the ex-
ceptIon Of Beaudry, who counseled q
compromise now; in order that complete
organic cation be perfected, ali the
speakers advocated the rejection of the
bosses offer. On motion of Mr.. Kleieer
the meeting resolved itself into COM
mittee to bring all outsiders to the union
and inform ali union men of the action
| tdken Dy bn6 meeting.
The real fight now is over the recogni-
tion OF the organizations of the men bv
the employers. The latter are pledged
as members of the national association,
formed here few days before the strike
commenced, to recognize only individ-
uals.
The carpenters have assurances of sup
port from the other building trades, they
Io1o y,,% A<a &c L..
one trade and another will join them till
the building business is stopped. No
such emergency is thought probable, how
ever. 1t is said that oil but 500 carpen-
tiers in the city belong to the union,
which numbers about 5000, pretty quail
ly divided between the Knights of Labor,
the Amalgamated Carpenters, and the
Brotherhoosl of Carpenters. Of the 5000
not moro than one-fourth belong to
Bnglish-s peaking natiOnalities French
Canadians, Swedes and Germans are num-
erous. The feeling toward non .unionists,
is decidedly bitter.
There is quite a division of opinion
among the men regarding the advisable
lty of accepting the bosses propositions.
| Sangnlne leaders insist that failure to i'm
prove this opportunity to secure their
full demands would set back the cause.
for seVsral years. Others think great
| step forward. has been taken, and that the
men should rest satisfied for the season
with the concessions already made. w.
l.. Myers, acting president of the Carpen--
ters' association, says that were il not for
| the committee of fifteen who dominate
the master carpenters, the strike would
have been settled yesterday, and the de-
mands of the mem granted. eve shall
assuredly hold out for a recognition of
the union," said be, land there is 10
doubt but chat we will succeed. The COM
mittee of fifteen are mostly mill men,
and think they can force the master carr
penters to- run under the rules of the
national convention. Over two hundred
of the master carpenters including some
of the largest employers in the city, have
agreed to eight hours and 80 cents; and
If 1t becomes necessary they will with
draw from the national association"
Some of the strikers are in favor of al
lowing work done for all bosses who will
pay 35 cents, the working carpenters to
contribute to the support of those who are
still locked Ogt. Others favor paralyz-
ing the building business till all come to
terms.
The prospects now are that other build
ing trades will soon be involved in the
trouble, and that unless compromise is
effected in day or two there vail be in
Chicago one of the biggest strikes in the
history OF that city At the recent ses
sion of the National Builders Association
the local builders and traders exchange
became a. member of that organization,
whose constitution expressly forbids any
recognition of any labor society as a
body. A committee of mastersfrom Zach,
trade, including carpenters, brick and
stone masOns, plumbers, painters, plaster
ers, and all lines of work properly CLASH
fed as building occupations, was appoint
ed some two. weeks ago to take action re-
garding this principle of the new body.
This committee will probably meet this
afternoon and declare what they think
should be done by the exchange in order
to put them in accordance with the plat
form of the National association. The
first battle between the two great
organizations of employers aad
employees is now on, and will be bitterly
contested on both sides. The master
carpenters acceded to the demands for
eight hours and 30 cents Sc easily MAINLY
because they were committed to the
policy of refusing to admit the existence
of the organization Of their employees,
and if fight had to come they wished it
TO be made on this issue and this only.
Carpenters are being brought hebe from
other cities, and, although business is
stagnated by the strike just now, the en-
ployers hope to have sufficient men to do
all urgent work in few days. The mas
ter builders viii hold another Meeting on
Saturday evening, when they will more
empatically define their attitude on the
recognition question, and then the fight
will become more bitter. Iaasmuch as
the striking carpenters are making q
fight chiefly for organized existence, they
will receive the hearty support of other
building trade societies.
ooh, this is a-of a big strike" said
one man at the BUILDERS exchange today.
"If the carpenters will wait till we recog-
nize their order, they will wait a long
time, and some of them will go hungry
long before we will All the builders
are fully committed on the point of 1gRor-
ing labor bodies, and they think the fight
may as well come now as at any time, as
the question at issue can ouly be decided
h IL H. l.